The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-02-02
The Care of the Horse.

I got good service out of this animal for ten
. years more" The horse Is driven every
T day, and Is in no way regarded or treated
as infiFm, nor has he got the gait or the
appearance Of an old animal If he
were neglected. the owner declared = he
would 90 to pieces in a few weeks" A
horse that maintains his useful qualities
AZ such an age is, of course, exceptional.
but he on .ht not 70 be, for such advance
meHt has been made in the scien e Of
taking care of horse that most health
fuI animals under proper treatment could
be made to add at least fifty per cent. to
the present average period Of their ser
vice, 10 say nothing Of improvements in
their quality.
Every hostler has his theories. ami any
man who un nlertakes TO l,y down east
iron rules for the care Of the horse viii
need all his time for controversy. But
the fundamental rule of every Successful
hostler, whether he has ever formulated
itor not, is to do everything with refer
euce 70 the horses comfort. The work of
the Society for the Prevention Of Cruelty
to Animals has done more. it might al
most be said, than veterinary scienee IL
self for the horse. and the greatest bent-
fit which this society has done i not the
prevention OF acts Of grass cruelty, great
rs this rect service has been. but the
cultivation it has encouraged of a more
human feeling for the horse. Men are
coming to think more of the comfort Of
the animal, prompted by sympathy and
plain common-sense. than Of their theo-
ri : about feeding and working. or OF the
rules they have read in books And this
is the very essence of every system Of
good management The horses Instinct
% be co nfortable Is a guide no less sure
than mans 10 proper physical eondi-
tons.
stall foGr feet six inches by eight
feet is not large enough for 4 horse u the
average size. When he lies down he VIII
be crampe,l, and cramped rest Is never
healthfu A stall ought to be five feet
by ten for horse from fourteen % fifteen
hands high. Confined within narrower
space than this he i likely 10 rub either
his head or his tail. and MANY horse :
irrit ted into habit OF kicking by this
particular discomfort. And then the
th0ughtIess owner wonders why the
horse should kick, and proceeds 10 cure
him by making him still more uncom-
Portable. 1t Is important, too, that the
floor Of a stable should be perfectly level.
4 stable ought not TO be constructed As
place TO confine horse. but place for
him to rest--a bedroom, not 4 prison.
But no animal can rest when 1t has to
stand on an inclined plane, for the mus
cles Of the legs are then not in o normal
position Messrs. George Ferguson x
Son, the well-knOwn stabieman in New
/ York. lay great stress on this simple pre-
( caution against many foot disease.
( The most Of the diseases that horses
( have. it becomes palmer with every al
( vancenlent made in the science of taking
( proper care of them, are bred rather by
+ their surroundings than, as the old theo-
+ ries declare. by what they eat. The diary
0f every day in a healthful horses life
T ought to begin with the statement that
+ his bed was turned up in the morning
and new straw put in placeof the foul.
IN uncIean animal cannot be comfort
able. Drainage. of course. l. the first
subject 70 consider, for Il Stable where
Z the smallest quantity Of foul water
stands. 70 say nothing Of pools Of il, j.
offensive 70 a horse Is well as to man
A hostler Sho does not have his stable
well drained has no right TO complain if
his horses grow old early, become vicious,
or yet SICK And ventilation i quite Is
importont as drainage IN experienced
stableman has ventured the opinion
that fewer horses are foundered by what
they eat OF drink than By exposure 70
draughs v bile they rest. His stables are
20 ventilated that the currents Of air nev-
er touches the horses. The stalls are not
ventilated from below. but above the
horses heads
The same general principle Of having
regard first Of all for the comfort Of the
animal gives the key 10 the proper man
agement of the questions Of food and
drink. The horseman Of experience l.
not 80 unwillingiug 10 trust an animals
own appetite as the novice u. A horse
that Is oyerheated should. Of course, have
a blanket, but no rule can be laid down
for blanketing unless the violence of the
work the horse does, the weather, aui
the comfort Of the stable ara all taken
into account. The purpose Is 70 prevent
the animals taking cold, and good julg-
nIent j. the only guide. But every horse
should have blInket a. every man
should have an overcoat. When horse
i overheated it is not prudent to allow
him 70 drink an unnatural quantity Of
very culd water, but many poor beast
suffers from thirst by the mistaken kind
Ness Of his master. The old system #
" drawing race horses required that the
trutter should be both hungry and JlIir--
" when he went on the track. The own
er or q trotter not many wears a-0 had
lost the first heat Of the rJcc. 10
his slrpris. and he consulted an ex-
perieneed friend II Won will Ter
me run the horse a. wish. said the
friend. he will win the rlce." and the
owner agreed that be should take the
animal in hand Well. said the friend.
the beas. j. thirsty, I'll water him.
The horse, which had not been sl,o ee,l
to drink, now drank more than pail Of
water, and he won the race.
The appetite of horses varies not only
accor,iing to the peculiar requirements Of
each animals system, but according q
the exhausting nature of his work 1
draught horse OF pillow horse ought to be
allowed to eat " 1olesome food in as great
quantities as he wishes If the food i
digestibIe and healthful, and his appe,
tite has been kept normal by generou:
feeding. he viii not hurt himself Nat.
ur,llly, the horse is anything but a -iut
tonous animal lar draught horse:
that do full work will eat three-quarter-
Of a bushei of oats day, and work the